USS Melbourne
by deConstruction
Summary: Commander Nathaniel Garrett is posted aboard the USS Melbourne days before a Romulan uprising. With loyalities being tested, where will 'duty' end and service to the greater good begin? R
1. Arrival

**_A/N _Hello. Okay, whilst I am not so new to FanFiction, this is the first story I've posted in the Star Trek category, and I'm practically giving birth I'm so nervous about it.**

**I'll be honest right from the start, I am not by any means a 'Trekkie' or 'Trekker' or whatever the 'PC' term for a massive fan is. I love Star Trek, and the whole universe it creates. TNG and Voyager are my favourites, although DS9 is starting to grow on me.**

**I am by no means an expert on Star Trek. I know there are fans out there who are much more well versed in the Trek Universe than I. That being said, I shall imagine I will get things wrong on a technical aspect. I'm relying a lot on Memory Alpha for my research. **

**As a request, if you're reading my story and you notice I've made an error in terms of Star Trek fact, then I ask that you have respect when you present your constructive criticism. I'm not perfect, but I am doing my best. If you're going to scream at me because I've made a mistake then I would ask that you not say anything. If you're pointing out a mistake because you want to help me grow as a writer, then by all means please help me out. I'm always willing to learn. Bottom line, treat me with respect and you'll get exactly the same back from me.**

**In this story, I've created my own ship with my own crew. I'm treating the ship as a new vessel with the designation of USS Melbourne. In addition, I've used my research on the Garrett family in this story. I don't know if Jason Garrett went to Starfleet, and I don't know if he had children. In my story, he did. **

**So, here is my first chapter. I hope you guys enjoy. Feedback/suggestions/constructive criticism always welcome.**

* * *

The gentle, consistent hum of the turbo-lift's propulsion system did nothing to calm the young Commander's nerves. Hands clasped firmly together, they twisted against one another, wringing at the interlocking fingers. Clearing his throat, the short-haired brunette man squeezed his left arm tighter against his body. He felt some small, strange solace in the fact that the data pad he had placed beneath his arm was still there.

Repeating the actions he had taken about hundred times already this morning, the man pulled the pad out from beneath his arm. Holding it before him, his thumb pushed several keys in succession. The screen before him twitched to life, bringing a flurry of information to view. Both his large ocean blue eyes narrowed slightly as he re-read the words on the summons. _Commander Nathaniel Garrett to report to the USS Melbourne at 0900 hours for re-deployment and official posting. The officer is to report directly to the ship's commanding officer - Captain Wilson._

Pushing another button on the key-pad, the block of text faded into nothing, leaving the standard Starfleet screen in its wake. Replacing the pad beneath his arm, Commander Nathaniel '_Nate_' Garrett raised his gaze to eye-level once more. His tongue traced its way over his bottom lip in an effort to moisten it. Sighing softly, Nate was half tempted to lean against the side of the lift, taking the weight of his legs. Secretly, he felt his nerves would betray him to the point where his legs would give way. Suddenly, Nate found himself secretly wishing that he had taken the young Ensign up on his offer to escort him to the bridge. Now, he felt rather foolish for arriving alone.

Still debating on whether or not to relax, and why he had turned the Ensign down, Commander Garrett was caught unaware as the turbo-lift glided to a complete halt. With an audible 'swish', the doors to the lift opened. Swallowing air in a gulp, Nate took a hesitant step forward out of the lift. His eyes fell wildly across the room in front of him. He was stood on the bridge of the USS Melbourne, currently orbiting high above Betazed. The starship was currently held in a 'dry-dock' in orbit above the planet. It had arrived here not only to undergo a small refit, but also to pick up Commander Garrett.

Twitching his lips, Nate's eyes were drawn to the view screen directly in front of the Senior Officer's chairs. The rectangle showed Betazed in all of its blue splendour. Momentarily transfixed by the sight, Nate suddenly remembered why he was standing on the bridge of a Starfleet vessel.

Worried that several sets of eyes would be staring at him from officers of the bridge, Nate looked searching around…only to find that no-one had noticed his arrival.

Looking to his left, Nate spied a female officer stood at her station in the left hand corner of the bridge. Her head was bowed low as she concentrated on the control display before her, slightly obscuring her face from view. Even from the distance, Commander Garrett could see how beautiful she was. Dark rivers of her hair were pulled back into a low ponytail, exposing the leopard like markings running down her hair-line and further over her neck. Those markings led to Nate guessing she was a Trill.

On the opposite side of the bridge to the woman, a male stood behind a similar station. He was an attractive man, with fairly long brown hair and almond shaped brown eyes. Arms folded across his chest, he seemed heavily involved in a conversation with a junior officer, oblivious to everything around. Nate's eyes were caught on the earring attached to the man's ear, clearly paying homage to his Bajoran ancestry. Nodding softly, Nate glanced down past the science station attached to the balcony in front of him. On the lower level of the bridge, a human male sat in the Captain's chair. With the command consol opened on his left, he seemed engrossed with whatever activity he was performing.

Nate wasn't sure to be relieved or offended that no-one had addressed him. Privately wondering if anyone would have noticed him had he been wielding a phaser rifle, he shrugged his shoulders. Raising his hand to his mouth, Nate gently cleared his throat.

When no-one took any notice, he repeated the action, this time a little louder.

The man sat in the Captain's chair heard Nate the second time. Turning over his shoulder to face behind him, his dark eyes surveyed Nate for a moment. Standing to his feet, he turned fully to face the Commander. Nate's eyes fell over the man's collar, noticing the three gold pips attached to his red collar. Assuming the man was the ships' First Officer, Nate smiled weakly as color burned into his cheeks.

"Can I help you?" The First Officer asked, drawing the attention of the other bridge officers.

Shifting his feet uncomfortably, Nate tried not to focus on the other officers staring at him. Only imagining the intense shade of red he was blushing, he couldn't help but stumble over his words. "I hope so. I'm here for my meeting with Captain Wilson?" _Consonants were the work of the devil when you're nervous, _Nate mused.

The Commander nodded, not losing any of his authoritative if slightly aggressive stance. "I see. And you are?"

"Nate…Nathaniel, I mean. Nathaniel Garrett?" Realising his first introduction was going down about was well as a joke told by the infamous late Commander Data, Nate spewed forth more information that he thought the Commander might need. "Commander Nathaniel Garrett, reporting for duty sir. I've been assigned to the USS Melbourne."

Getting no response from the Commander, Nate clumsily reached for his data pad. Bringing up the summons report, he moved to hand it down to the First Officer. Nerves seemed to win over Nate, causing him to drop the pad. Landing with an audible thud on the centre seat, it clattered from the Captain's chair right down to the Commander's feet. Stretching down, the First Officer retrieved it from the ground. Briefly studying the information, he looked back up at Nate, who was relieved to see that the Commander's expression had softened.

"Commander Garrett, of course. Welcome to the USS Melbourne." With a warm smile, the First Officer tossed the data pad back up to Nate, who caught it awkwardly. In an instant, the other man's entire demeanour had changed before Nate's very eyes. "I'm Commander Lane Foster, First Officer to Captain Wilson." Nate nodded, smiling at the introduction. "Go on into the Ready Room. The Captain's expecting you."

Nate followed the direction which Commander Foster was indicating with his own eyes. Pointing at a door just below the station of the Bajoran male, Nate slowly trotted his way towards the door. Turning back briefly to thank the Commander, Nate was slightly disheartened to see that Foster had already gone back to his seat and was back to work.

Turning to the door, Nate nervously pushed the button for the 'bell'. He could just about make out the bleep of the alert behind the door. After a moment, a simple _'Come'_ emerged from behind the door. Taking one final breath for courage, Nate opened the door, and stepped inside.

The Ready Room was comfortably lit as a functioning room for the Captain. Opposite the entrance, on a raised platform, was the Captain's desk. Several data pads were scattered across the surface, along side a computer.

Realising the Captain was not sat at the desk; Nate looked further into the room. Against the left hand wall, a pale teal-green couch was situated, surrounded on both sides by green potted plants. Sat at the end furthest away from the door was the Captain. Looking up the data pad resting on her lap, her hand raked back through her deep brown hair. She glanced up from whatever she had been reading to see the figure of Nate standing just in her doorway. Smiling softly, she beckoned for the Commander to come further in.

Complying immediately, Nate scurried into the room, taking a seat on the couch just after the Captain patted it with her hand. Extending her hand to Nate, she smiled again. She was a handsome woman, with perfect, almost porcelain features. Her face was completed with high cheekbones and soft pink lips. As she smiled, her teeth were exposed, a slight gap obvious between the front two. "Commander Garrett?" Nate nodded as he took her hand in a brief shake. "I'm Captain Amelia Wilson. Welcome to the _Melbourne_."

"Pleasure to meet you Ma'am." Garret replied meekly, suddenly wondering what was the best way to address your superior officer aboard a Starship. It wasn't as though he'd never served on board a Starship before. Indeed, Nate had spent a while on board the USS Rhea, working as a medical scientist. But that had been several years ago, and the Captain of the _Rhea_ was rather relaxed when it came to formalities.

"Oh please," the Captain smiled, "don't call me ma'am. It's far too grand for my tastes. Captain will do just fine." Nate nodded, making a mental note never to call her ma'am again. "And how is it you prefer to be addressed?"

"I beg your pardon?" Nate blinked, not quite sure what the Captain's meaning was.

"What would you like to be called," she clarified. "Commander Garrett? Doctor Garrett? Doctor and/or Commander Kaldarren-Garrett? Nathaniel?" Captain Wilson allowed her voice to trail off, feeling as though she had made her point sufficiently.

"Oh, Nathan is fine." Realising he might be committing some kind of Starship faux-pas, Nate rushed forward before the Captain could reply. "Or Doctor Garrett if you'd prefer?"

"We'll begin with Doctor Garrett to being with I think. Perhaps we can progress to Nathan once we know each other a little better? Whatever you're most comfortable with." Nate nodded. If he was being honest, most people addressed him as Nathan. Those closest to the Doctor called him Nate, but those individuals were few and far between.

Distracted by his own thoughts, Nate looked up once more as the Captain added something else, as if it were an after-thought. "Unless you'd like to be called Doctor Kaldarren-Garrett?"

"Oh no," Nate replied, shaking his head. "Nobody in the family uses my Betazoid family name. We're just the Garretts." Nate smiled, wondering if the Captain really cared about that nugget of personal information that he had provided.

"Okay. Doctor Garrett is fine for me, but I want to make sure it is what you prefer. I want you to feel as at home as possible aboard the Melbourne." Smiling broadly, the Captain took Nate's data pad from him, reading over the summons. Placing it down to her left, she extracted another pad from her side.

Holding it up before her, the Captain began to recite the information it held. "Commander Nathaniel Jerome Kaldarren-Garrett. Born on Betazed in 2354. Son of Patricia Ellen Garrett nee Cohen, a school teacher. Father is Admiral Jason Kaldarren-Garrett, currently posted at Starfleet Command. Grandson of the late Rachel Garrett, Captain of the Enterprise C."

Nate nodded softly at the mention of his grandmother, as Captain Wilson continued. "Enrolled at Starfleet Academy in 2369, passing the entrance exam at the age of 15." Looking over the tip of the pad at Nate, she nodded softly. "Very impressive Doctor. Graduated the Academy in 2373, and joined Starfleet Medical, from which you graduated in 2380, one year early, with an impressive list of honours. And you passed the Bridge Officer's test in 2383. Very good."

Looking back at Nate, Captain Wilson tossed the pad back onto the couch next to her. Her smile seemed oddly amused, as though there were something humours contained in Nate's personal information. "Now then. Tell me about yourself Doctor."

Swallowing, Nate shrugged his shoulder. "I think you pretty much just summed me up about one hundred words."

The Captain chuckled softly, pushing a rogue strand of hair from her forehead. "I know about the officer, Commander Garrett. But I want to get to know man behind the uniform. I want to hear about Nathan."

Nate licked his lips slowly, unsure of how to take his commanding officers' demeanour. "There's not much to tell, really." Going from the look gracing the Captain's features, the Doctor realised that she wasn't about to just let the issue go. "Well, I grew up on Betazed with my mother and my grandfather. My father wasn't around as much when I was child, because he served on board Starships. But I did get my interest in Starfleet from him."

Nate shifted position on the couch, watching the expressions as they changed on the Captain's face. "After I qualified in medicine, I interned with Doctor Katherine Pulaski, and I've been at Starfleet Medical ever since. This is my first posting on board a ship."

"You were on board the USS Rhea for eighteen months Doctor." The Captain raised her eyebrows. Clearly, she knew more about Nate than she had originally let on. And why shouldn't she? Captain Wilson was the commanding officer after all. It wouldn't do for her to know nothing about the officers under her command.

"On detached duty." Nate replied, hoping the Captain didn't have the wrong idea of his work on board the Rhea. "I was on loan from Starfleet medical, along with Doctor Pulaski, to study an outbreak of Anchilles fever on the Coltar IV colony."

"During which, your commanding officer Captain Jackson commended you for your bravery and tireless dedication, taking on official duties above your then rank. He said you had the makings of a fine officer, just like your father." The woman's smile was beaming, as though she were trying to lighten Nate with her exuberant praise. It hardly had the desire effect.

"Captain Jackson was a funny man," Nate smiled softly, the hint of sarcasm in his voice not going entirely un-noticed by Amelia. "Seriously Captain? I'm a little puzzled as to why you had me transferred to the Melbourne."

"My previous Chief Medical Officer went into a well deserved retirement. I needed someone to fill the vacant position. I studied the profiles provided by Starfleet command, and found yours to be the most suitable." The Captain shrugged her shoulders, as though her reasoning was the most logical in the world.

"Permission to speak freely Captain?" Nate blurted the words before he realised they had been inside his head. Regardless of that fact, there was no taking them back now.

"Of course." She nodded at the Doctor.

"I really cannot fathom my transfer to the USS Melbourne. I'm a Doctor, but I've worked as a medical scientist for the majority of my career. I've had very little field experience, and have only the bare amount of experience necessary to facilitate serving on board a ship." Nate swallowed hardly, finding the action very simple due to his excessively dry mouth. "What I mean Captain, is that I've never really had any desire to serve on a vessel. Besides which, I know for a fact that there are far more qualified Doctors you could have chosen to join your crew. I don't see why you picked me. It feels like something of a joke to me."

The Captain's expression hardened before Nate's very eyes. "I can assure you Doctor Garrett, when it comes to health and well-being of my crew, I take the matter with the utmost seriousness."

The commanding officer exhaled harshly through he clenched teeth. And as quickly as the flicker of annoyance emerged, it seemed to melt away to a visibly relaxed woman before Nate.

Leaning against the back of the couch, her eyes watched him in amusement. "May I ask you a question Nate?" The Doctor nodded. "I get the impression that you're not terribly enthused at the prospect on serving aboard my ship. If that is so, given your preference for laboratory work as apposed to active duty, why did you take the Bridge Officer's exam?"

Nate shifted uncomfortably in his seat. That was the dreaded question which he had been avoiding for months. And yet, conversely it was the question he had been asking himself on a daily basis. "Honestly Captain Wilson, it just seemed the thing to do. I'd completed the required Starfleet training, and taken all the necessary active duty assignments. It was suggested that the only thing I needed to complete my Starfleet service was to apply for the Bridge Officer's exam. I just thought…"

Nate's voice trailed off, his eyes narrowing slightly as though he had difficulty putting his thoughts into words. "…I just thought…"

"That you would pass the exam and that would be the end of it. That you'd jumped through the last Starfleet hoop, and would be then left alone to continue your work at Starfleet medical." Captain Wilson smiled, saying what it appeared Nate could not. "Unfortunately, it looks like you made a slight miscalculation. You unwittingly put yourself in line for service, namely aboard my ship. May I ask you a question Doctor?"

"Sure." Nate murmured, his shoulders threatening melt into his upper arms they were sagged so low.

"Are you incompetent? Do you lack in your ability as a Doctor? Would you either through negligence of apathy endanger the life of an individual under your care?" Captain Wilson leaned closer to Nate, crossing one leg beneath her.

Nate's face morphed into a mask of incredulity. _How dare she, Captain of otherwise, insinuate such a thing? _"Of course not Captain. I would never, ever -…"

Nate found himself cut off by the Captain. "And do you swear to protect and serve any life you come across, regardless of any other factors. Will you do everything in your power to save and heal the life of another?"

"Absolutely." Nate replied, puffing out his chest in some macho-display of dedication.

Captain Wilson chuckled softly, nodding her head as if in approval. "Then that's all I need to know Nathan. Whether you realise it or not, you will make a fine addition to any crew." Nate nodded. "However Doctor, I understand that serving aboard a Starship is not your ideal choice of career. So I am prepared to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" Nate echoed.

"A deal." The Captain affirmed. "Give me six weeks. Serve on board the Melbourne for six weeks as my Chief Medical Officer for six weeks. By that time, we should have completed our mission and will have returned to Deep Space Nine. If you still want off my ship, I will happily authorise your transfer back to Starfleet Medical. We'll leave you aboard DS9 from which you can take a transport back to Earth. How does that sound, Doctor?"

Doctor Garrett smiled at the Captain. "That is very gracious of you Captain. Thank you very much." In his mind, Nate had already started to count the days until his freedom was absolute.

The Captain returned the Doctor's smile. "Then it's settled. Now then, I think it's about time you were introduced to the Melbourne's sickbay. If you'll follow me please."

Standing up from the couch, Captain Wilson lead the way out of her ready room, stepping through the door that led to the bridge. Nate got to his feet, rapidly learning that the Captain controlled any and all conversations. All you could hope to do was keep up. Trotting after the Captain, Nate found himself led back out on the bridge. The Captain immediately addressed her first officer. "Commander Foster. Could you please organise and escort for Doctor Garrett. He needs to be shown our sickbay."

"If I may sir?" The Bajoran male stood at the tactical station addressed the Captain.

Turning to look, she acknowledged him. "Yes Commander Tai?"

Stepped from behind his station, Lieutenant Commander Tai Nuka, the ships' tactical officer and head of security rested his hands behind his back. "I'm just coming off duty now sir and am headed to my quarters. I'd be happy to escort the Doctor to sickbay. It's on my way."

Captain Wilson smiled at the Doctor. "Well then Doctor Garrett, if you'd like to accompany Lieutenant Commander Tai, he will escort you to sickbay. I'm sure he will answer any questions you may have."

Nate nodded, joining Commander Tai as he headed towards the turbo lift. Taking once glance back at the Captain, the Doctor disappeared behind the closing doors of the lift. Captain Wilson stood staring at the lift a moment longer, before turning back to face Commander Foster.

About to speak, she was cut off by the junior lieutenant replacing Tai. "Captain? I have an incoming transmission from Starfleet Command on a secure channel for you."

"Put it through to my Ready Room." The Captain nodded at the grinning Commander Foster.

Taking a seat behind her desk in her Ready Room, Captain Wilson powered on her computer. The standard Starfleet screen appeared, before being replaced. Admiral Garrett's face flashed onto the screen. His greying eyebrows rose as he noted the Captain Wilson. The resemblance between the Admiral and his son was striking. "Amelia, good to see you."

"Likewise Admiral Garrett. What can I do for you?" Captain Wilson asked the question, already knowing what the response would be.

The Admiral shifted position in his seat. "How's my boy doing?" Despite his age, Admiral Garrett knew he would always have a slight neurosis when it came to the well being of his only son. Indeed, if Doctor Garrett only knew his father's involvement in having him posted on board the Melbourne, he could just imagine the fireworks as a result.

"He's on board Jason." The Captain confirmed. "Although you should know, he's not too pleased at being posted here."

The Admiral's expression darkened on the monitor. "I thought as much. He's got too blasted comfortable at Starfleet Medical. He's a fine officer, with an exemplary record. He just doesn't have the guts to seize the opportunities when they arise."

"Jason," Captain Wilson soothed. She had known Admiral Garrett for a number of years, and was afforded the luxury of addressing him by his first name in private. "Don't you think you're pushing him a little too much? Some people just don't want to serve on Starships. As gifted as Nathan is, maybe he's just one of those people."

The Admiral seemed to consider the possibility on the screen in front of Captain Wilson. "He's a good officer Amelia. He just needs to get out in space to see it for himself. I'm convinced after he's spent time on board the Melbourne, he'll come around."

"And if he doesn't?" A lesser person would have had second thoughts about posing a commanding officer such a question. Amelia Wilson was not one of those people.

"Then I'll deal with it when we come to that stage. Keep me posted Amelia. Garret out." With the slightest of nods, Admiral Garrett's features vanished from the screen. Relaxing back into her chair, Captain Wilson pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and fore finger.

_This was never going to work_

* * *

**_Turbo lift._**

Being stuck in a lift with someone could be one of the most uncomfortable situations imaginable. The unsure looks and shy smiles made it nearly unbearable. It would with most people, unless you were stuck in a lift with Lieutenant Commander Tai Nuka. Grinning at Nate as soon as the lift doors had closed, any thoughts of silence evaporated in an instant.

"Lieutenant Commander Tai Nuka of Bajor. Security Chief and Tactical Officer of the USS Melbourne." Grinning warmly at Commander Garret, Nuka held his hand out for Nate.

Taking the hand in a firm grip, Nate returned the hand shake to the Bajoran male. "Commander Nathaniel Garrett of Betazed. Apparently Chief Medical Officer of the Melbourne."

Nuka nodded, taking his hand back leaving it to rest at his sides. His eyebrows moved animatedly, expressing his interest. "So you're a Betazoid? I've never met one of your people before. Is it true that you're species is telepathic? Tell me what I'm thinking."

Leaning his head closer to Nate, Nuka's eyes rested firmly on the Commanders. Raising his hands as if in defeat, Nate smiled bashfully. "My father is half-Betazoid, so I'm about a quarter. More of me is human than anything else."

"So you're not telepathic?" Leaning back, Commander Tai sounded almost disappointed.

"Not exactly. If I concentrate hard enough, I can string a conversation together with another telepath, but that's about it. My empathic abilities are a little better. I can pick up on emotions." Stopping himself before he lied, Nate blushed a little. "On a good day…if the emotion is strong enough."

Nate shrugged, but Nuka continued to smile. "You're from Starfleet Medical. What made you transfer to the Melbourne?"

"Now that's a question to which I'd like an answer." The turbo lift came to a halt, the doors swishing open. "I didn't exactly volunteer for the job. More like, I was posted here by Captain Wilson."

"Well old Doctor Greyson did just retire." Nuka noted as he lead the way out into the corridor. Nate fell into step alongside his fellow Starfleet officer. "He's been friends with the Captain since you joined the Academy. We were all sorry to see him go. I won't lie to you Commander. The Doc had a real rapport with the crew. Those are going to be some pretty big shoes to fill."

"Great." Nate smiled sarcastically. The look was lost on the Lieutenant Commander as he became distracted by another officer. She was a human female with blonde hair and high cheekbones. A pair of green eyes glittered beneath her brow, both of which sent dubious looks in Nuka's direction.

"Lieutenant Dalgleish. How's it going? We still on for that drink tonight?" Commander Tai grinned at the young Lieutenant. By the look on his face, Nate could just imagine how often he used such a look to disarm women. But the Doctor didn't need to be part empath to know that Lieutenant Dalgleish was having none of the Security Chief's advances.

"We were never on, sir." With a polite but curt smile, the Lieutenant continued to walk, pushing past Nuka. Turning, he watched her continue down the corridor as Nate tutted.

"She wants me bad." Commander Tai chuckled, turning back to walk along side Nate. The Doctor couldn't help but smile to himself. _She really doesn't. _"She's a very attractive woman, right Doctor?"

"She's beautiful, yes." Nate agreed, taking a more analytical approach to the conversation.

"She is hot Doctor. Every guy on the ship wants to take her out." Nuka's expression changed as she watched Nate's face remained impassive to the idea of being involved with the Lieutenant. "What? Don't tell me she's not your type. That girl is everyone's type."

"Not mine." The Doctor assured, smiling at Nuka. The Lieutenant wasn't his type in every sense of the word. After all, she was a woman. And Nate wasn't interested in women. "And I'm not just talking about the fact she's blonde. It's more because she is a 'she'."

"How can she not be…oh…" Commander Tai's eyes lit up in understanding. "I see. Sorry Commander. I didn't mean to cause you any offence."

"You didn't." Nate assured. Thinking to himself, Nate honestly wondered if Commander Tai were this candid with everyone he met. At the very least, Nate felt a certain sense of 'openness' and transparency about Nuka. The Doctor could only imagine the kind of trouble such honesty could get an officer into.

"Well, you know I have a friend on Deep Space Three. You should meet him, because I think you'd…"

Doctor Garrett cut Nuka off at once. The last thing he needed on his latest assignment was other crew members to be setting him up with their gay friends. "Is this sickbay?"

Pointing to the doors in front, Nuka nodded. "That it alright. Come on, I'll introduce you to your staff."

Nate nodded as Commander Tai led him into sickbay.

As was to be expected, the sickbay was a hive of activity. Several medical staff stood in the corner of the room, next to what Nate assumed was the Chief Medical Officer's office. Glancing around, the Doctor was interested to see how different the room looked to what he had expected. Having studied the layout of _Intrepid_-class Starships previous to his assignment, Nate realised the room had been changed from the standard design. Beds had been moved, storage cupboards were not in the most efficient of positions, and the research section against the wall had been replaced by a cupboard. Not having a moment to ponder further on the list of anomalies, Nate found himself being approached by a man from across the room.

"Lieutenant Wells, meet Commander Garrett." Commander Nuka nodded in the direction of Nate. "He's your new boss."

Nate attempted to smile at the blonde male stood opposite him. Dressed in the standard medical personal colours, Lieutenant Wells looked less than friendly. In fact, Nate was almost taken aback by the waves of animosity pounding from the man stood opposite. "Lieutenant Avery Wells. Acting Chief Medical Officer for the USS Melbourne, sir."

Noting the last word had been said with a certain sneer, Nate raised an eyebrow. "Nice to meet you Lieutenant Wells. I'm Commander Nathaniel Wells, and _the_ Chief Medical Officer of the Melbourne."

Lieutenant Wells' face remained unchanged. "If I can introduce your staff sir. On my left is Nurse Lucy Mills." Nate smiled at the petit blonde woman. "Next to her is Ensign Lianne Ashmore. And on my right is the ships' Counsellor, Lieutenant Commander Zara Rafa."

Nate smiled and nodded at each one individually. Surprising even himself, he took control of the situation as was custom for a commanding officer. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I hope to be able to speak to you all individually as soon as possible. In the mean time, I'd like to schedule a staff meeting for the medical personal on-board. We need to discuss the layout of this sickbay. It has to change. Shall we say sixteen-hundred hours today? Counsellor, you're more than welcome to join us." The staff nodded in unison. "Very good. Dismissed."

All the medical officers, aside from Wells, dispersed heading back to work. Saying his goodbye, Lieutenant Commander Tai Nuka had the sense to exit sickbay before Wells opened his mouth. Thanking the Bajoran, Nate turned back to face Lieutenant Wells. He was positively seething, and clearly needed to address Nate. "Lieutenant Wells, is there something else?"

"Permission to speak freely sir?" Gritting the words through his teeth, Nate slowly nodded. Indicating to the office to the left, Nate followed Wells in.

"Go ahead." Nate relaxed down to sit on the edge of the desk, folding his arms across his chest.

"With all due respect Commander Garrett, I think you should know the medical staff and myself have a certain way of working. The sickbay was altered to Doctor Greyson's design, and we find it works well for us. I think it would be best if you got to used to it, rather than changing things. In addition sir, having acted as Chief Medical Officer in the interim after Doctor Greyson's retirement, I feel it would be best that any and all concerns you have concerning the job and the crew should be addressed to me first. After all, I am familiar with the crew and the staff and…"

"You think you can do a better job than me?" Nate finished the sentence for Lieutenant Wells.

"I do sir." Lieutenant Wells nodded, resuming a more formal stance.

"Well Lieutenant, I can see you're not exactly pleased that I've been placed here. I'm sure you felt as though you deserved the position of Chief Medical Officer, rather than an outsider being brought in." Lieutenant Wells said nothing, but Nate knew he was right on the money.

"Well Avery, your concerns and suggestions are noted. However, the simple fact is, I am now your commanding officer. Any and all orders given by me are expected to be completed to the best of your ability whether you personally agree or otherwise. If you feel in any way that you cannot work as a member of my staff, than I will happily recommend your transfer to the Captain." Lieutenant Wells' swallowed briefly, clearly taken back by the Commander's tone.

"In any event, _Lieutenant_, Doctor Greyson isn't here anymore. This is my sickbay now, and things will be done my way. You either fall in line, or step aside for someone who is more capable. Am I clear?" Nate looked directly in his Lieutenant's eyes.

"Yes sir." Wells replied, perhaps with a little less gusto than he had had previously.

"Very good. Dismissed Lieutenant." Nate nodded, and Avery turned and walked out of the office. Taking a deep breath, Nate could feel his heart pounding in the very cavity of his chest.

Walking around the desk, Commander Garrett took a seat in the chair tucked behind it. Picking up the data pad, he sighed to himself. One case of insubordination dealt with. What's next?

This was never going to work.

* * *


	2. The New Doctor

**_A/N: _Update. My second chapter. Thank you to ****grleviathan**** for your review. It's great to see one my readers follow me over to this genre.**

**Again, same disclaimer as before. I'm not a Star Trek expert. If you pick up a mistake I'm making, let me know and I will correct it.**

**Star Trek is owned by Paramount and not me. This story is written by a fan, and is not written for profit. Please R&R!**

* * *

Dropping the data padd onto the desk, Nate groaned as he began to massage his temples with the tips of his fingers. Squeezing closed his sea-blue eyes, the Doctor exhaled sharply through clenched teeth. The migraine had been building for some hours, but Nate had been too busy to deal with it.

Over the past fortnight, Commander Garrett had been rushed off his feet so much he was sure he would collapse from exhaustion. If he had known fourteen days ago, what he knew now, Nate would have gone running in the opposite direction of the Melbourne. As it was, the ship was currently on route to Algeron IV to deliver much needed technological supplies. Aside from stealing a shuttlecraft, there really was no way out.

Relaxing back into his chair, Nate sighed softly. His first week had been a blur of staff meetings - both medical and senior related, and coming to grips with life aboard a starship. Not to mention being responsible for running a sickbay. Nate had worked in such environments all his life. He didn't need to be told what an excellent team player he was. Given a duty, Commander Garrett would make sure he got it done. Of course, that had been when he was under the direct supervision of Doctor Pulaski. Now he was out on his own, Nate wasn't sure how comfortable he felt with the idea of being 'in charge'. He could give the appearance of authority better than most. It came from being the son of a Starfleet Admiral.

Secretly however, he doubted his own ability as a leader. And it was that fact that he predicted to be his downfall. You could only play the leader so much before someone saw through the charade. And then what? It honestly didn't bare thinking about.

Resisting the urge early on to call Doctor Pulaski for help and guidance, he had focused on getting the sickbay to his specifications. After a somewhat heated discussion with the medical staff onboard, the Melbourne's sickbay had been returned to acceptable Starfleet specifications. Nate didn't have to be part-empath to know how less than popular his decision had made him with the staff. Still, Nate had reasoned that if he was going to be conscripted to serving on board a starship, he would at least do so in an environment that he felt most comfortable in.

The only other factor that bothered Nate was that of Lieutenant Avery Wells. After his first meeting with his un-official 'deputy', Nate was somewhat surprised with the Lieutenant's conduct. The animosity and borderline insubordination had been replaced with a dutiful and diligent Starfleet officer. Of course, Avery did nothing that wasn't accompanied by a certain amount of sarcasm and aloofness. But at least the man was doing his job. If it meant Wells had to do it whilst biting his tongue, Nate reasoned that if could only be good experience for the young Lieutenant. The man was a potential problem, but he was a fine Doctor. Nate would just have to learn to live with the personality clash.

If only the same thing could be said for the crew.

In all his years in the medical profession, Commander Nathan Garrett had never met a bigger bunch of _'cry-babies' _in all his life. He could not believe the amount of miniscule problems and near-hypochondria that brought random members of the crew in at all hours. His day was filled with concerns ranging from a hoarse voice to a suspected case of Anaprolean fever. And every single patient expected some form of treatment, to the extent of one ensign offering to administer a hyprospray to themselves.

It seemed that the good Doctor Greyson's famed _rapport _with the crew rested on his rather blasé attitude towards diagnosis and treatment. Nate was known for his excellent bedside manner, but even he couldn't justify pumping someone full of sedative because they couldn't sleep. With all the self-diagnosis going on onboard the ship, he half considered restricting access to the Starfleet Medical data base to medical staff only.

His thoughts wandering to just how Doctor Greyson had passed his entrance exam to Starfleet Medical, Nate felt himself wince as the doors to sickbay opened audibly. Peering over his desk to the sickbay outside, Nate spotted a junior grade Lieutenant entering sickbay.

Getting up, the Doctor straightened his uniform and headed out of his office. "Lieutenant? I'm Doctor Garrett. What can I do for you?"

Nate's broad smile was met with a meek curved mouth from the Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Casey Filan. Junior Grade. Engineering, sir. I'm not well Doctor. I'm sick." The young Lieutenant slowly lowered himself to a seated position on one of the beds.

Grabbing a medical tricorder, Nate flipped it open. Taking out the hand scanner, he smiled sympathetically as he could at the officer. "Can you be a little more specific for me Lieutenant? What are your symptoms?" The tricorder came to life, making all manner of noises as Nate moved the hand scanner over the Lieutenant's body. The display flashed with light as readings presented themselves.

"I just feel ill sir. I'm having difficulty breathing, and my throat is sore. I also seem to be producing a lot of mucus. It all started after we left Betazed. A group of Yridian's came on board to trade. One of them didn't look particularly healthy. And he coughed on me…and look at me now! Is it something serious sir? Could I have caught something from him?" The Lieutenant's eyes squinted with concern. Commander Garrett groaned inwardly, assuming the officer had already searched the medical database for possible Yridian infections he could have caught. _Please don't let this be another self diagnosis. _

Nodding at the readings presented on the tricorder, Nate replaced the hand scanner and closed the tricorder. The Lieutenant remained silent. "Your temperature is up slightly Lieutenant, and you do have congestion in your respiratory system. Have you been sneezing more than usual?" The Lieutenant nodded solemnly. "Well that settles it. It seems to me Mr. Filan, that you have a case of _acute viral nasopharyngitis_."

The baby faced Lieutenant's eyes widened in abject horror at the Doctor's diagnosis. "What is that? Is that an Yridian disease? Is it life threatening? You can treat it right? Doctor?"

Waving his hand at the onslaught of questions, Nate smiled. "I'm pretty sure you're going to live Lieutenant." Chuckling slightly, Nate placed his hand on Filan's shoulder. "You have a mild cold Lieutenant, that's all. Just a run of the mill, ordinary infection."

Lieutenant Filan sighed rather over-dramatically in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I was terrified that I caught some unknown strain of an Yridian plague or something." Filan chuckled to himself, suddenly perking up before Nate's eyes. "So will you just give me a hypospray of something, so I can get back to work?"

"No Lieutenant. The infection has almost run its course. There's no need to give you any drugs when I have a much better, natural remedy to hand." Nate smiled as he crossed the room to the replicator. "Computer, access Doctor Garrett Medical files." The computer bleeped in response, marking its readiness. "One serving of Garrett medical supplement number seven-beta. Hot."

The replicator whirred, before a single glass of steaming tan coloured liquid materialized in the food slot. Taking it by the polished black handle, Nate turned back to the Lieutenant. With a smile, he handed the glass to him. "Doctor, what is that?" Eyeing the liquid suspiciously, Filan glanced up at Nate.

"That Lieutenant, is the world famous _Pulaski Chicken Soup." _At Lieutenant Filan's less than enthused expression, Nate explained. "Doctor Pulaski shared her secret recipe for the soup with me whilst I worked with her at Starfleet Medical. There really is no better treatment for a cold Lieutenant, I can assure you of that." Filan eyed the Doctor from across the room, slightly sniffing at the soup. "Drink it all, and get a good nights rest and you'll feel a lot better."

The Lieutenant nodded. Getting up from the bed, he smiled faintly at the Doctor. "Thank you sir." Clutching the glass of soup, he disappeared out of sickbay, more confused than anything else.

Watching the door close behind the Lieutenant, Nate felt his smile automatically vanish from his face. Although prescribing chicken soup was something of an antiquated idea in this century, no-one could deny its medicinal properties. Nate had a profound respect and understanding of older earth and Betazed remedies. In his considered opinion, certain traditional remedies were better than technology could ever hope to be. Still, considering the near hypospray-dependency depicted by the crew, Nate knew his style of medicine was going to come under serious opposition.

The thought seemed to turn Nate stomach in uncomfortable knots. What he could really avoid now was confrontation with random crew members who felt he wasn't caring for them in the correct way.

The tight feeling in the Doctor's stomach gave way to a menacing growl. It finally occurred to Nate that he hadn't eaten all day. Deciding to leave his problems confined to sickbay, Nate headed out into the corridor.

* * *

**The Mess Hall. **

"I am telling you Rabi, that man is a disaster area." Placing his cup back down on the flat of the table, Lieutenant Ford Campos rested the flat of his hands across the table.

The junior lieutenant and bridge science officer shook his head. Gathered around the table several of his colleagues chuckled. It was the usual group of a Friday evening on board the USS Melbourne. Lieutenant Campos, Lieutenant Wells and Lieutenant Commander Tai always ventured to the Mess Hall for their dose of synthehol and ships' stories. Their conversation usually revolved around the ships' current mission, or perhaps who had won the last game of racket-ball on the holodeck.

Of course, sometimes conversation strayed to available women on board the Melbourne. Commander Tai was particularly fond of noting off which officers on board he had been on dates with to the holodeck, much the chagrin of the others present.

This particular evening however, the men were being joined by several of the ships' female officers. It seemed nothing could bring the crew together better than a controversial new Chief Medical Officer. The ships' Operations Officer, Lieutenant Rabi Agni of Trill and the helm officer, Ensign N'Vek of Vulcan were sat at the table alongside the others. All over the ship, word had spread on the particular beside manner of Doctor Garrett.

"Come on now Ford, he can't be that bad." Rabi shook her head, causing the ponytail into which her dark hair had been pulled, to dance over the back of her shoulders. She hadn't had the opportunity to meet the Doctor as of yet, but she doubted he could be as bad as the Junior Lieutenant insinuated.

"I'm serious," Lieutenant Campos defended, "he told Crewman Willis to stop being such a drama queen, and Ensign Lars to stop taking his usual dose of pain killers from the storage cupboard. I mean come off it Rabi, Lars has been taking pain killers since he came on board. Doctor Greyson never had a problem with it. He just let everyone get on with things."

"I do not believe the Doctor has acted in any unprofessional manner Lieutenant." The cold, efficient voice of Ensign N'Vek cut in before Rabi could reply. "Crewman Willis is well known for his particular trait of exaggerating not-existent symptoms. Indeed, I myself have presented my concerns to Lieutenant Commander Segalis on more than one occasion. He is well known for making problems in engineering sound more serious than they are."

"That's true." Nuka agreed, chuckling at a particular memory the conversation had stirred. "Remember when he predicted a warp-core breach because a plasma flow regulator was slightly out of alignment? He even got the ship onto red alert because of his panic. Commander Segalis had him on probation for ten weeks. It was hilarious!"

The group laughed along with Nuka at the memory. Although the humour was lost on N'Vek, she continued on with her evaluation of the Chief Medical Officer's actions. "Doctor Garret's decision to rein Crewman Willis in, is perfectly reasonable."

"What about Lars? His back causes him problems all the time." Lieutenant Campos pouted a little, feeling put out at N'Vek's opposition. Silently, he wondered who invited N'Vek to join them in the first place.

"Lars doesn't suffer with his back anymore than you do," Lieutenant Wells chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "I repaired the muscle damage last year. He was given doses of pain-killer to begin with to ease any residual discomfort. It was hardly a ticket to free hyposprays."

"Doctor Greyson never denied him anything." Leaning back into his own seat, Campos folded his arms across his chest.

"The Doctor just liked to keep the peace," Rabi chuckled. "Well all know how Greyson worked. He was a sweet old man, and just liked to see his crew happy. If that meant we were all heavily medicated, then so be it."

Aside from Ensign N'Vek, the group chuckled in unison. "Anyway, Doctor Garrett seems nice enough to me." Commander Tai leant forward to the table. "So what if he's shaking thing up a little on the ship? I think it'll be good for the crew."

"That's easy for you to say," Wells countered. "You don't have to work with him." Word had already snowballed threw the crew of the alleged 'confrontation' between Wells and the new Doctor. Having been serving together for the past three years, the bonds of loyalty meant the crew were totally behind Wells.

"Speak of the devil." Lieutenant Campos chimed in, as a brief hushed silence fell across the near-full mess hall. Everyone at the table turned to the entrance, to see Doctor Garrett glancing around nervously. As quickly the silence fell, noise resumed once again as people turned back to their recreation. Each own small groups' conversation buzzed in earnest at the arrival of the very man in question.

The looks hadn't gone unnoticed by Doctor Garrett, who seemed to keep his head down as he crossed the room towards a replicator. Nuka followed him with his eyes, a look of concern touching his features. It was obvious to the Lieutenant Commander that the Doctor would have to sit somewhere. And as there were no free tables at present, things were about to get particularly uncomfortable for the new Doctor.

As the Lieutenant Commander had thought, Doctor Garrett's face fell as he glanced around the room. Clutching his tray almost unbearably tight, Nate's stomach sank about as low as his toes as he realised there were no empty tables. Now he had already replicated a meal, there was no way he could just casually walk out of the room. Not without looking foolish. Silently cursing himself for not just heading back to his quarters and eating there, Nate almost jumped out of his skin as he heard someone calling his name.

"Doctor Garrett? Over here." Glancing across the room, Nate recognised Lieutenant Tai at his feet. Meeting the Bajoran male's gaze, Nate smiled weakly. Grinning as brightly as ever, Nuka beckoned the Doctor over to join their table. Making his way across the room, Nate noted that a Lieutenant he hadn't met had pulled a chair over for him. Taking it, he carefully placed his tray down on the table.

"Hey there Doctor." Nuka grinned, shifting his own chair over a little to give Nate more room. "Welcome to the Mess Hall. I don't know if you know everyone in our little group?" Nate shook his head, prompting Nuka to make the introductions. "Well you already know Lieutenant Wells. This is Ensign N'Vek, the ships' helm officer."

"Doctor." N'Vek nodded her head in greeting. Nate returned the gesture.

"Next to her is our Ops Officer, Lieutenant Rabi Agni." Rabi smiled warmly at Nate, reaching across the table to shake his hand. Nate recognised her as the Trill female he had seen his first day onboard. He had seen her during several senior staff meetings, but had as of yet to be introduced to her. "And next to her is Lieutenant Ford Campos, our bridge science officer."

"Pleasure to meet you Lieutenant." Nate briefly shook the other man's hand.

"Call me Ford, Doctor. We tend to go by our first names when we're in the Mess Hall. We prefer it when we're not on duty." Lieutenant Campos explained, smiling briefly.

"Fair enough." Doctor Garrett replied, picking up a spoon from his tray.

"We'll still address you as Commander though, sir." Lieutenant Rabi added from Nate's left, not wanting to offend the superior officer.

Realising it best to fit in with the crew if they preferred a more relaxed code of conduct, he spoke again. "That's not necessary. If that's what you prefer when in the Mess Hall, feel free to call me Nathan. Truth be told, I'm not exactly used to the level of formality expected on starships."

Rabi smiled, reaching for her drink, relieved the group hadn't committed a chain of command faux pas. Next to her, N'Vek leaned closer to inspect Nate's meal. "Doctor, may I enquire as to what you have replicated?"

Glancing down at his dish, Nate looked back up at the Ensign. "This is a Betazed stew. It's made from root vegetables that grow on the planet, and is slow cooked over three days. It's a particular favourite of mine."

"Intriguing." N'Vek observed, her slanted eyebrow arching on her forehead as she regarded the copper coloured liquid.

"Would you like to try some? It really is very good. It's my grandfather's personal recipe." Nate offered a second spoon to N'Vek for her use. It would seem strange to most that someone would replicate more than one item of cutlery for a meal. Not so if you Nate. Being somewhat infamous at the academy for juggling with his cutlery, unintentionally of course. The sad fact was, Nate seemed physically unable to get through at least one meal without dropping a spoon or a fork on the ground.

N'Vek accepted the back-up spoon, carefully skimming the surface of the liquid. Lifting it to her lips, she tasted the liquid, tracing her tongue over her bottom lip to catch a stray drop. The officers gathered watched her with heightened interest as she seemed to prolong the tasting of the stew.

Finally resting the spoon back down on the table, she glanced up at the Doctor. "It is acceptable, Doctor."

Lieutenant Agni chuckled, grinning at the Doctor. "High praise indeed from a Vulcan." Nate returned the smile, dipping his spoon into the stew himself. "Doctor…I mean Nathan, may I ask you a question?" Nate nodded as he placed a spoonful of stew into his mouth. "You are from Betazed, is that correct?"

"I am." Nate replied.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying so, you don't look like a Betazoid." Rabi did her best to choose her words carefully, but still felt as though she was being insulting. _Why not just stand up and call him a freak while you're at it?_

Nate seemed unbothered by her observation. "I don't? In what way?"

"It's your eyes Nathan. I was given to understand that all Betazoid's had completely black eyes. No colour at all. And yours…" Rabi's sentence trailed off into silence.

"Mine are blue?" Nate smiled, nodding his head as though he understood. "It's true, anyone with Betazed heritage will have dark eyes. The colour tends to vary in strength depending on how much Betazoid you have in you. The only full-Betazoid in my family is grandfather, so my eye colour would be lighter that your typical Betazoid male. Even so, I seem to have something of a genetic flaw, in so much as my eyes are a shade of blue."

Nate shrugged his shoulders as if to say he could explain not further. Rabi was more than satisfied however, and resumed her drink. It seemed the turn to ask the Doctor questions was now firmly wielded by Lieutenant Campos.

Leaning onto the table, he levelled the Doctor with a thin smile. "Tell me Nathan. What brings a respected Starfleet Medical scientist onboard a Starfleet vessel? One which is already three years out of space dock? It doesn't seem like a logical choice for someone in your position, to say nothing about your apparent _disregard _for the feelings of the crew."

Nate's eyebrow rose into a slight arch, as Campos continued on. "Further more, what exactly gives you the right to…"

Lieutenant Campos's voice went no further however, as the voice of the ship's first officer filled the room.

"_Commander Foster to all senior staff. Please report to observation lounge one immediately for a briefing."_

Automatically, Lieutenant Commander Tai, Lieutenant Agni and Ensign N'Vek rose to their feet. Perhaps out of force of habit, Lieutenant Wells rose to his feet too. Until Nate's arrival, he was the one to represent the Chief Medical Officer's position in such briefings. However, as Nate steadily got to his feet, Wells made a show of heading across to the replicator to save embarrassment.

"Another time perhaps Nathan?" Campos smiled easily from the table.

"Perhaps Lieutenant." With a curt nod, Nate headed out of the mess hall, leaving a broad smirk lightening the features of Campos.

* * *

**Observation Lounge**

Taking his seat, Doctor Garrett glanced around the room. As was to be expected, the usual staff had converged on the observation lounge to begin the briefing. Captain Wilson sat at the head of the table, with Commander Foster on her right. On her left, sat the Chief Engineer for the USS Melbourne, Lieutenant Commander Isaac Segalis. Lieutenant Commander Tai was in position next to Commander Foster, with Nate sat next to him. Opposite to the Doctor sat Lieutenant Agni, with Ensign N'Vek on her left. Her eyebrow was already arched high on her forehead, suggesting an already active interest,

Captain Wilson's folded hands rested on the table, her face expressionless. Glancing around the room, she sighed gently. "Okay people, let's get down to business. I have just received a message from Starfleet Command. We are being diverted from our mission Algeron IV."

The room visibly shifted, everyone intent on hearing the Captain's explanation. "We are being sent to make contact with the science station _Helios_. It's a federation station, close to the Romulan Neutral Zone. Two days ago, a Ferengi freighter passed by the region, and picked up a distress-call from the station. They were good enough to relay the message onto the nearest Starship. For a price at least. That ship was the _USS Thames_. But as they are heavily involved in a terra forming exercise, they can't be spared. As the only Starship close to the sector, we are to proceed to the station and investigate."

"Do we know who attacked the station, Captain?" Lieutenant Commander Tai leant forward.

"No. The message was very brief, and cut off very soon after initial transmission. Starfleet speculates that given our proximity to the Neutral Zone, we could be dealing with a new Romulan threat." Uncomfortable glances were exchanged across the room, as the Captain leaned back into her seat. "That message was sent almost 48 hours ago. As it is, at maximum warp we are still half-a-day away."

"Captain. Are we expecting any Romulan activity when we arrive at the Station?" As Chief of Security and Tactical Officer, it was Commander Tai's responsibility to be prepared for any hostile action on the mission.

"It's a possibility Commander," The Captain admitted. "As we are still out of sensor range, we simply don't know what's there at the moment. However, if their ships are cloaked, it won't make a difference."

"Then with your permission Captain, I would like to phasers and torpedo bays armed and ready when we arrive at the station. I would also recommend placing the ship under red alert for the duration of the mission."

The Captain shook her head. "That might be a little over-zealous Commander. Place the ship under yellow alert for the time being, but I don't want our weapons armed. The last thing we need is for us to be accused of provoking the Romulans with armed weapons."

Nuka said nothing further, but the Captain wasn't quite finished. "Having said that, I want weapons ready to be armed at a moments notice. Commander Segalis, I want the option of jumping to high warp should the situation call for it."

"Understood Captain." The Chief Engineer nodded in acknowledgement.

"According to Starfleet records," Ensign N'Vek announced, "Helios science station was studying a binary star system in the region. They have a compliment of thirty-nine officers, all members of federation planets."

"That's correct," Commander Foster noted, more than used to N'Vek's penchant for offering information whether requested or otherwise. "We have to assume that the station has been damaged severely. If it was the Romulans, I can't imagine them leaving much behind for us to investigate. Doctor, what are the risks to the station and her occupants if their shields have been depleted?"

Nate hated being addressed in staff meetings, to say nothing about speaking to the senior staff. It wasn't that he had a problem with public speaking. Rather, he felt somewhat inferior to the other Melbourne senior staff. However much the Captain had tried to welcome him into the fold, he was still three years late to the party.

Clearing his throat, Nate leaned forward towards the table, all attention being focused on him. "Well it would depend on the station's proximity to the binary stars, but I should imagine radiation poisoning is going to be a major concern. Even if they had the bare minimum of shields, we are looking at severe radiation contamination on any survivors. It could quite honestly be too late for us to do anything if they've been exposed for any length of time."

"What would be the risks in sending an away team over Doctor?" The Captain's face looked solemn, as though her mind had already been made up.

"I can create an inoculation for the short term, but I would highly recommend against any prolonged periods of time spent on the station. Exposure to that level of radiation would cause serious health risks to the team, Captain. I can set up a triage area for cases of radiation poisoning. Perhaps in one of the cargo-bays?" Nate wondered if he had stressed the case enough, considering the threat exposure to radiation provided.

It didn't seem to matter however, as the Captain stood up from her seat, straightening her uniform. "Make it so Doctor. We should reach the station and seventeen-hundred hours. Commander Foster will prepare an away team in due course."

Captain Wilson turned briefly to the windows of the observation lounge. "I don't think I need to impress upon any of you the magnitude of this mission. We could very well be investigating a new threat to the federation from the Romulan Star Empire." Turning back to her crew, the Captain addressed them in the formal tone required for mission orders.

"Ensign N'Vek. Set a course for the Helios Space Station. Maximum warp. Commander Tai, place the ship under yellow alert and run a defence drill with the crew." N'Vek nodded at the Captain in acknowledgement, and Nuka copied. Seemingly satisfied, the Captain's eyes travelled over her officers for a moment longer.

"Dismissed."


	3. Space Station Helios

_**Chapter Three**_

* * *

_"Bridge to Doctor Garret."_

Roused from the briefest of slumbers, Nate carefully rolled upwards into a seated position. The days' events had taken their toll, and the young Doctor had found sleep overpowering. He had left the job of preparing radiation vaccinations and organising a quarantine area to Lieutenant Wells a few hours earlier.

Whilst normally he preferred to oversee activities like that himself, Nate knew he would not be much use feeling this tired. And as an added bonus, giving Wells the responsibility kept him involved in the activities of the senior staff, even if he wasn't acting Chief Medical Officer any longer. Whilst the younger Lieutenant had mostly accepted the situation, Nate thought it prudent to make the transition as smooth as possible on the Lieutenant.

Yawning, the Doctor swung both legs over the edge of his bed where they hung limply. Smoothing down the front of his uniform, the tips of his fingers brushed against the com-badge emblazoned on his chest. "Garret here."

"_Doctor, we have an incoming subspace communication from Betazed for you." _

Forced to get up from his bed, Nate trudged through his quarters, rubbing the last traces of sleep from his tired features. Running a hand back through his short brunette hair, Nate noted that his little nap had left him with some pretty terrifying hair. Depositing himself at a table near the far end of the room, he adjusted the computer monitor before him whilst finger brushing his hair to the best of his ability. "Patch it through to my quarters."

"_Acknowledged." _

At once the blank screen bleeped to life, displaying the appropriate Starfleet insignia it its grey splendour.

Touching the large rectangle shaped button on the curve of the computers base, the picture changed. The Starfleet insignia was gone, replaced by the smiling face of an aged woman. Her mane of auburn hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, trailing unseen down her back. Her grey-blue eyes smiled as brightly as did the curve of her soft mouth. A few lines of age seemed to deepen as her smile broadened at the sight of Nate. Expression lines around her eyes were ever present, deeply etched into her otherwise flawless skin. If nothing else, the lines were indicative that this woman must smile a great deal.

The warm grin was infectious, and Nate couldn't help but return the smile himself. Resting his elbows on the table, he cradled his head between his hands. "Hi Mom."

Patricia Garrett continued to smile serenely as she replied. "Hello sweetheart. How are you? I haven't heard from you since you boarded the Melbourne. I thought I might check in on you."

"I'm doing fine Mom. Sorry I haven't been in contact very much." Nate felt a slight blush of colour rise to his cheeks. He had promised his mother she would get a least one subspace message a week, even if it was just to let her know he was okay. Of course, that had been before Nate had come to realise how demanding life could be aboard a starship. The best of intentions had quickly gone out the nearest airlock and Nate had been left to baby-sit a crew bordering on hypochondria.

"Don't worry sweetheart. I know serving onboard a starship doesn't leave you much time for yourself. I am the wife of a Starfleet Officer you know." Mrs. Garrett's eyes twinkled in amusement, as her voice lilted in a soft chuckle. It had been as hard on her as it had been on him, Nate knew, having a husband in Starfleet.

Jason Garrett was a loving man, and there really was no doubt in the depth of feeling hat he had for his family. But he was also a Starfleet officer and he had been posted aboard many deep space research vessels, some of which did not cater for families. And even on the few occasions that Jason had been posted on starships that could cater for families of officers, Patricia had always been against living on board any vessel. For one thing, she didn't want to give up her teaching position on Betazed. But perhaps the main reason was that she didn't want her son to grow up travelling through the stars. She'd wanted him to grow up grounded on one planet. Somehow Patricia Garrett had always known, there would be time enough for space exploration later.

The obvious outcome was that Jason Garrett had been absent for a lot of Nate's childhood. Whilst Nate had learned to deal with it, the admiration from his school peers wasn't quite enough to fill the gap that existed in his family. His mother had done the best she could, and they had always shared a close relationship. She was as much a friend to Nate as a mother, and he felt guilty for not making time for her. Now that he was on board the Melbourne, he wouldn't have time to visit her like he used to. She truly was alone now.

"I know. But I promised we'd talk once a week, and I'm going to make sure we do." Nate beamed into the monitor, causing Patricia to again chuckle softly.

"Of course dear. If you have the time." The motherly tone wasn't lost on Nate, causing him to sigh contentedly. Even thought they were out of view of the monitor, Nate could make out the sounds of children somewhere in the background. He guessed that his mother was calling him during recess of a school day, perhaps even from her school office.

"I spoke to your father last night sweetheart. He's very proud of you for taking on your first starship posting and wanted me to tell you." With his mother grinning conspiratorially, Nate rolled his eyes.

"I'll bet he is." _Too bad he couldn't tell me that himself, _Nate thought. It was no secret Jason Garrett had wanted his son to pursue a career in Starfleet, although he'd never come out and said it directly. Nate had sometimes wondered if his aversion to space travel was some kind of subconscious attempt at rebellion against his father's wishes.

"You'll never guess who I bumped into the other day." Mrs. Garrett announced, interrupting Nate and causing him to blink quickly out of his thoughts psychological analysis.

"Who?" Nate replied, already wishing he hadn't asked the question. He noted too late the knowing expression on his mother's face. This was not going to end in Nate's favour, he could tell. She only looked that way when it came to his love life. His mother seemed hell bent on getting him settled down, a trait which Nate reacted to in varying degrees of alarm.

"Scott Ross. You remember him, don't you?" Mrs. Garrett questioned. "He was that lovely boy, born on Mars wasn't he? You and he dated whilst you were both in the Academy. He is a handsome man, don't you think?"

_Patricia Garrett, the matchmaker extraordinaire _Nate silently mused. "I remember him mother."

"He remembers you too," she beamed. "I ran into him whilst I was visiting your Aunt Lucille on Earth. She sends her love by the way. Anyway, Scott is working in Starfleet Academy at the moment. He's just been promoted to Captain, and is the first aide to Vice-Admiral Janeway, no less. He's not done too badly for himself, has he?"

"No, apparently not." Nate's reply was curt, boarding on agitated. He already knew what his mother was going to propose, and the idea made the Doctor shudder inwardly.

"You know, he asked how you were." Mrs. Garrett continued, leaning closer to the monitor as if to screen out unwanted listeners. "I told him you were posted onboard the Melbourne. He wondered if you would get in contact at your earliest convenience. Apparently the Melbourne is due at Deep Space Three in ten weeks time. Scott will be there at the same time. He says he'd love to catch up with you…"

Mrs. Garrett's eyebrows waggled suggestively, causing Nate to groan. "Mom, really. That is not going to happen. Scott is nice a guy, but a total drip. I honestly didn't think a person could be _that_ neurotic, but that man is living proof. It was like having a conjoined twin alternating between slobbering and bawling over me the entire time we were together. I couldn't get away from the Academy fast enough when I graduated."

Mrs. Garrett pouted slightly, obviously disappointed that her involvement hadn't gone the way she had planned. "That's a pity. He's such a handsome boy."

"You said that already," Nate pointed out. "Besides, the good looking ones are usually the worst kind." Nate shook his head, laughing softly. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off as the bell to his quarters chirped behind him. Glancing past the monitor, Nate stared at the door. "Mom, there's somebody at the door. Could you hold on a second?"

"I'll let you go son. I have to get back to my class anyway. Next time you're not too busy, send me a message. We can catch up more then." Mrs. Garrett smiled the same, serene motherly smile.

"Are you sure?" Nate replied, a little disappointed that his conversation was going to be cut short. Now that he actually had her over sub-space, he really didn't want her to go. Truth be told, Nate hadn't realised how homesick he had been feeling until he'd seen her smiling face. It was like a cold wave rushing down into the pit of his stomach, chilling him in a way nothing else could. He longed to tell his mother how isolated and lonely he was feeling, if she would only hang on for a few minutes more.

"It's fine sweetie. You take care of yourself out there, and make sure you eat properly. I know what you're like and I bet you're skipping meals already because of your work." Nate grinned ruefully as his mother knew him all to well.

"I love you." Mrs. Garrett touched the tips of her fingers to her lips, blowing a kiss to her son.

Nate mimicked the gesture, reaching for the activation button on his monitor. "I love you too." With the briefest of smiles, Patricia Garrett vanished from view. All that was left in her place was the standard Starfleet insignia. Sighing, Nate pushed away from his desk and padded over to his door.

Hitting the control panel at the side of the door, the doors parted to reveal the impassive face of Ensign N'Vek. He studied her for a moment, honestly surprised to see her outside her door. N'Vek nodded her head at the Doctor. She held her hands level with her chest and clasped between them was a polished silver flask.

"Ensign N'Vek," Nate stuttered, more than surprised to see the ship's helmswoman standing outside his quarters, "can I help you?"

The Ensign nodded slightly, her expression remaining blank. "I came to offer you this Commander." She held the flask between her hands towards Nate. "After our conversation in the Mess Hall, I took the liberty of replicating a Vulcan stew not dissimilar to the Betazoid dish you were eating."

Nate was almost touched at the gesture, but quickly quashed any idea of friendly familiarity. N'Vek was a Vulcan, and Vulcan's never took actions based on their emotions. They were dispassionate at all times, and stoic by nature. He supposed it was a logical notion to share recipes that both of them found '_adequate_'. Taking the flask, Nate smiled.

"Thank you Ensign, that was very thoughtful of you."

"Commander Garret," N'Vek began, her hands folded firmly behind her back now they were empty, "that statement is incorrect. I was not being thoughtful, as I am -…"

"Incapable of emotion, I know Ensign." The Doctor smiled as he finished her sentence for her, reminded of a Vulcan colleague of his from years ago. Nate had had many late night arguments with him whilst stationed at Starfleet Medical. It was always the same thing, what constituted an emotional response and what didn't. If nothing else, Nate had learned not to argue with a Vulcan on the matter. He'd never won a single argument in all his time at Starfleet Medical on the subject of logic.

Flushing at his own lack of manners, Nate stepped back, waving N'Vek through the open door with a brief arc of his arm. She nodded, and walked passed the Doctor into his quarters.

The quarters themselves were standard issue. The only difference being that Nate programmed the lights fitted against the windows to emit a more cerulean coloured light. He found it more relaxing than the standard issue.

Glancing around, N'Vek noted that Nate had done nothing to personalise his quarters. There were no ornaments or objects, pictures or paintings. It was almost the definition of standard issue. Even as a Vulcan, N'Vek could understand the logic in having personal items in one's quarters.

Feeling nervous at the attention the ensign was paying to his room, Nate glanced around, trying to be as covert as possible to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary. Aware N'Vek was looking at him, he immediately met her eyes. "I believe your quarters are still of standard issue Commander Garrett. Have you not considered adding your own belongings to make it more suitable to your stay on the Melbourne?"

Nate's mouth opened and closed silently as language seemed to momentarily desert him. "I…well, I haven't really thought about it N'Vek…may I call you N'Vek?"

"As you wish Commander." N'Vek nodded, still adopting the to attention pose expected when around a senior officer.

"Don't call me Commander. My name is Nathan." Nate offered, gesturing to a seat against the far wall.

"Starfleet regulations state that all subordinate officers are to refer to those in senior grades by their proper rank and title, Commander Garrett. It would be in direct violation of protocol for me to address you any other way." N'Vek spoke as though she were reciting a passage from the rule book. Having moved to where Nate was now sat, she continued to stand to attention.

"Would you relax already? You're starting to make me feel nervous standing like that. Have a seat, would you?" Nate couldn't help but feel the ensign was doing as she was told by lowering herself to sit next to him. "And you have my permission to call me Nathan. We're not on the bridge N'Vek. You don't need to be so formal."

"Commander, I feel I must point out that -…"

"Okay, okay." Nate interrupted, holding his hands up in defeat. "I can't force you to call me Nathan, but please don't refer to me as Commander. Doctor is perfectly fine."

"As you wish, Doctor." N'Vek arched an eyebrow on her forehead, obviously intrigued by Nate.

Twisting the flask between his hands, Nate silently debated whether or not to ask the ensign a question that had been plaguing him since arrive on board. True, it would perhaps be a tad inappropriate to discuss a matter with a subordinate officer. However, Nate rationalised that as a Vulcan, N'Vek would not repeat the conversation, and would definitely give him a direct and honest answer.

Honesty was a particular trait that Nate missed from living on Betazed. At least on the planet, you'd be guaranteed an honest answer to point of bluntness. Turning to N'Vek, Nate smiled nervously.

"Doctor, am I to assume based on your obvious emotional response that you have something you wanted to ask me?" The eyebrow remained arched on N'Vek's forehead, her eyes fixed on his.

"You're good," Nate smiled. "I suppose you do that a lot, don't you? Vulcan's I mean. You study us emotional humanoids and the way we react?" N'Vek nodded for what seemed like the millionth time.

Getting up from the seat, Nate paced nervously towards his replicator. Without turning back to face her, the question tumbled out over his lips before he could think of a better way to word it. "The crew don't like me, do they N'Vek?"

N'Vek's face changed only slightly. Her eyebrow lifted slightly on her forehead as she considered the question. "Based on my knowledge of emotions and how humanoids portray them, I would agree with that statement. The crew have taken an illogical dislike to you based on your conduct as the ships' Chief Medical Officer."

Leaning against the wall Nate sighed, the tips of his fingers drumming on the flask. "I thought so."

"I would like to point out Doctor that you have in no way acted inappropriately. In my observations of the crew I have noted that most have become used to the attitudes of Doctor Grey, specifically his attitude toward medicine, because he simply provided medicinal relief when it was not appropriate to the patient."

"Still, at least they liked him, even if he was making them all dependants." Nate smirked, although stopped almost as quickly as he met N'Vek's eyes. The humour hung between them like a toxic smog.

"Would you like me to speak to the crew and ask them to desist from their emotional displays toward you Doctor?"

"No, not at all." Nate's mouth twitched as he stepped away from the wall and joined N'Vek on the seat. "There's nothing really anyone can do. The crew just haven't taken to me at all. I'm sure they'll get used to my tough medicine in the end. At least I hope they will."

"That would be a logical assumption Doctor."

"Well I'm glad you think so. Now, how about I get some bowls and we have some of this soup. I've never actually tried Vulcan soup, so - …"

Nate was left unable to finish his sentence as Commander Foster's voice sounded in the room. "_Attention all Senior Staff. Please report to the Briefing Room immediately to discuss the Away Mission_. _Foster out_."

Nate sighed, glancing at N'Vek who was already at her feet and moving toward the door. "Perhaps another time Ensign." With a lacklustre grin, Nate led the way out of his quarters.

***************************************************

The pair was the last to arrive at the Observation Lounge. Captain Wilson, Commander Foster, Lieutenant Commanders Segalis and Tai along with Lieutenant Agni were already present. Quickly taking his seat, Nate turned his attention to Captain Wilson who was stood behind her seat at the head of the table. Her blue eyes observed the room in a calculating measure, as though she were trying to assess the mood before beginning the meeting.

"All right people, let's get to it." Captain Wilson's voice was clipped, bordering on agitation. Nate focused on her for a moment, his trace of Betazoid heritage getting a slight inclination of her unease. "Commander Tai?"

Taking his cue from the Captain, Nuka shifted his chair to face the table, eyes moving from everyone present in turn. "We're due to arrive at _Helios_ within the hour. Despite repeated attempts at hails, the station has not unanswered. Sensor scans have indicated it has taken heavy damage, and nearly every key system is offline or damaged severely. The blast patterns are consistent with disruptors, although what kind we haven't been able to determine due to radiation interference."

That fact left an unsettling silence in the room, and Nuka pushed on. "Details on life support on board are sketchy, although it appears to be functioning at acceptable levels. The shields however are almost totally gone. The two lower decks have sustained hull breeches that have so far gone unsealed. Due to the extensive radiation coming from the Binary Star, we are unable to detect life signs aboard _Helios_, although that isn't to say there aren't any. As it is, our movements will be restricted to the upper decks and the laboratories."

"Starfleet is very concerned about the events at Helios, and have made it our top priority to ascertain what has happened here. Lieutenant Agni, once on board the station, will we be able to pick up any life signs?" The Captain focused on her operations officer.

"We should Captain," the Trill female replied, "at closer range, the tricorders will be able to pick them up without interference from the radiation. However, I've had several of them modified to be more sensitive to be sure."

The Captain's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile. She knew she could rely on Agni to take every effort to ensure the mission's success, even that of going above and beyond what was required of her. "Commander Foster, what are your plans for the mission?"

Leaning forward to the table, the First Officer rested his elbows on the surface. "I will lead a team onto the station and we'll search for any surviving scientists, along with evidence of what happened there. Tai, Agni and Segalis, you're with me."

Twisting in is chair, Commander Foster regarded Nate. "Doctor, you'll be coming along too. How many personnel will you require?"

Clearing his throat, Nate sat up straighter. "I'll take Lieutenants Wells and Lar from my staff, with the remaining medical staff ready to either join us on the station or receive patients in the triage area."

"Will three medical staff be sufficient Doctor to cope with the survivors?" Asked the Captain. "The more there are the better chance we'll have to find out what happened."

Nate attempted to hide the grim expression he knew was masking his features. "To be perfectly honest Captain, I doubt we'll find any survivors, and those we do will be in the final stages of radiation poisoning."

Doctor Garrett glanced around the room to let that fact sink in before continuation. "I don't know if anyone here has seen a person in the later stages of this kind of poisoning, but it is no exaggeration to say it is very disturbing. If anybody is still alive over there, they will be very ill and in a lot of agony. The most I'll be able to do is ease their pain in their last moments."

"And that's assuming whoever attacked the station left anybody alive to suffer that fate." Lieutenant Segalis added quietly.

Sighing heavily, Captain Wilson glanced out of the window into the endless void of space. There were times when being a Starfleet Captain made her sick to her stomach. No matter what wonders the Universe still held, there were an equal amount of horrors still to be found. It was in moments like these she wondered if exploration was truly worth the awful price it too often came with.

Turning back to her senior staff, she gripped the back of the chair. "Will you be able to ensure the away team will be safe from the effects of the poisoning Doctor?"

He nodded. "The inoculation we've developed should fight off the radiation for thirty minutes at the most. Any longer and the team will begin to be irradiated. It is essential everyone is off that station before then."

"Understood Doctor. We'll be in and out as quickly as we can," Commander Foster nodded, "Is it possible we can tractor the station to a safe distance away from the binary star and send in teams to decontaminate it so we have more time to investigate?"

Chief Engineer Segalis shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Based on our limited scans of the station, its structural integrity is so badly compromised that the entire station would crumble with the force of even the weakest Tractor beam."

"So it looks like a traditional search and rescue operation." Lieutenant Commander Tai concluded.

"I want you to download the station's computer core and see if it gives any clue to what happened," added the Captain, "if we can't save anyone on board, it's possible that they left some clue as to why they were targeted. I want everyone to be cautious over there. God only knows what happened and we can't preclude the possibility that whoever did this will remain unaware of our presence."

As the Captain finished speaking, another voice filled the room over the communication system.

"_Bridge to the Captain."_

"Go ahead Ensign."

"_We've arrived at Helios Station and have slowed to impulse power."_

"Good. The away team will be transporting over. Place the ship under yellow alert and begin sensor sweeps of the station and the surrounding area. Wilson out."

Turning to her crew, the Captain regarded them for a moment. "Stay in constant connect Commander, we'll be ready to pull you out at a moment's notice. Be safe people. Dismissed."

"Away Team to Transporter Room One." Was Commander Foster's immediate reply.

The room sprang into life as the officers stood up from their chairs and filed out of the room. Nate was the last to follow, his hand grazing against his Com Badge on his chest. "Garrett to Lieutenant Wells."

"_Wells here Commander."_

"Would you and Lieutenant Lar bring the radiation inoculation and Med kits to Transporter Room One and prepare to beam over to the station for the Away Mission."

"_Aye sir."_

Nate may have imagined it, but he was sure he heard the hint of a smile in Lieutenant Well's voice. Maybe he was going some way to thawing out Wells from his cold dislike, and the thought was comforting. Whatever the reason, Nate knew he had to focus on the task at hand.

Stepping into the Turbo Lift, Nate locked eyes with Lieutenant Commander Tai who was just finishing a similar communication to his security team.

"Hey Doctor?" Came Tai's voice from behind him. The Security Chief had leaned closer to whisper into his ear. "You sure these inoculations will keep us safe from the radiation poisoning? Last thing I need is to be cooked by it. I've got a date with Lieutenant Dalgleish tonight and I'd hate to miss it."

Nate had to stifle a laugh as the lift doors swished closed in front of him. Maybe with friends like Nuka, life on board the Melbourne wouldn't be so awful after all.


End file.
